The present invention relates generally to the decoration of human skin, and specifically to user-created temporary tattoos for attachment to human skin. Through use of the devices and methods of the present invention, a printed image may be attached to human skin as decoration, formed as part of a layered applique. Preferably, the image is created on a computer by the end user of the decoration, printed with a printer attached to the computer, incorporated in an image-bearing laminate, and then applied to the skin.
Traditional tattoos are images made by applying permanent pigments under the skin, or by raising scars on the skin. Thus, traditional tattoos are essentially permanent, removable, if at all, only through complicated medical procedures. In view of this technical definition of the word "tattoo," the use of the word to describe the present invention is somewhat of a misnomer. It is believed, however, that it has become accepted in the trade to refer to various skin decorations as tattoos, even if they are not permanent.
Tattoos and other skin decorations long have fascinated both children and adults, but often are avoided because of the permanence of the resulting image. Accordingly, temporary tattoos have been developed, including those applied as an ink transfer, a stamp, and a decal. Examples of such temporally tattoos are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,898,357, 4,522,864, 5,421,765, 5,578,353, and 5,601,859, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Temporary tattoos may be allowed to remain on the skin for various lengths of time, ranging from just a few minutes to several days, depending on the whims of the wearer of the tattoo, the amount of washing and rubbing to which the tattoo is exposed, and the durability of the tattoo. Because of the potentially extended time of contact between the tattoo and a wearer of the tattoo, there is a realistic concern that the inks used could be absorbed through the skin, resulting in possible injury to the wearer of the tattoo, even though the quantity of ink required to produce a tattoo may be quite small. Accordingly, the construction of temporary tattoos according to the prior techniques has been limited to the use of carefully selected, non-toxic inks. There is a need for temporary tattoos that may be made safely with a variety of inks, including those inks that may not be completely non-toxic, as may be found in some computer printers.
The prior temporary tattoos also are limited in that they generally lack any user creation of the tattoo. Rather, a predefined image is applied by the user. At best, the user exercises creativity only in the selection of the design and placement of the design on the body. There is a need, therefore, for user-created temporary tattoos that allow for increased user creativity.
One simple solution is to draw directly on ones skin with non-toxic temporary or permanent ink. However, this is very difficult for most people to do with any accuracy, and the location of the tattoo is very limited by ones ability to reach the part of the body on which the image is being applied. The present invention offers a better solution because it allows the creation of an image on a separate sheet of material, prior to applying the image to the body.
The present invention offers an even better solution by allowing a user to create an image on a computer, print the image using a computer printer, and then safely apply the image to human skin. This combines the user-creativity of computer-printed images with peace of mind for the user or parent of the user of the tattoo. The tattoo is simple to create, and the method may be used by young and old, with minimal instruction and supervision.
With the advent of computer sketch pads, digitizers, scanners and digital video and still cameras, computer images now combine many of the traits of drawings, paintings, photographs and photocopies, yet are easy for most people to create. Examples of computer-creation of images are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,635,132, 4,687,526, 4,923,848, 5,009,626, 5,109,281, 5,148,196, 5,343,386, and 5,623,581, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention allows these exciting and popular methods of image creation to be incorporated in the creation of a temporary tattoo, with very pleasing results.
The printable material on which the image of the present invention is printed is a coated release sheet, having a backing sheet and a printable releasable coating. When the backing sheet is wetted, the coating will separate from the backing sheet. The image is printed on the coating, so that the image is separable from the backing sheet. The coating is waterproof so that it protects the image from possible damage when the backing sheet is wetted. The release coating also winds up being the outer layer of the image-bearing laminate that forms the temporary tattoo of the present invention, protecting the image from damage by washing, rubbing and chaffing of the tattoo.
The image and coating are not applied directly to human skin. Rather, they are applied with a double-sided medical film, so that the film is between a wearer's skin and the image, and attached to both with adhesive. The image is layered between the film and the coating of the release sheet. The film both protects a wearer from any harmful inks that may have been used in printing the image, and makes the image last longer once applied by reinforcing the image and coating. It has the added advantage of being releasable from the skin when peeled back, so that the image may be removed from the skin at any time.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment.